My toddler is probably the pickiest eater you will ever meet. He pretty much refuses all fresh fruit and vegetables with the exception of watermelon! It has been a constant struggle since he has been able to eat solids and I have had to get a little creative over time to make sure he gets the nutrients that he needs. Below are some tips for picky eaters to get the daily nutrition that they need.
According to KidsHealth.org toddlers need between 1,000-1,400 calories per day. Here are the nutrient recommendations that they list on their site here :
At 2 years old they need:
-3 ounces of grains, half from whole-grain sources
-1 cup of Vegetables
-1 cup of fruit
-2 cups of milk
-2 ounces of meat and beans
At 3 years old they need:
– 4-5 ounces of grains, half from whole-grain sources
– 1 1/2 cups of vegetables
– 1 – 1 1/2 cups of fruit
– 2 cups of milk
– 3-4 ounces of meat & beans
Here are just a few tips for picky eaters and the ways that I make sure my toddler gets these nutrients each and every day. Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links to Amazon. If you decide to purchase any of these resources, I earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. All recommendations and opinions are my own.
Pouches
Since he first started eating solid foods, pouches were one of my sons favorite things. They are a great way for your toddler to get the nutrition they need when they are picky about fresh fruits and vegetables. You can buy them pre-made and Plum Organics is one of our favorite brands.
Their “Mighty 4 Blends” line is the best as it contains four food groups in one pouch. My son absolutely loves them. Especially these – they contain strawberry & banana, kale, greek yogurt, and oat & amaranth. They are great as an addition to lunch or breakfast or just as an afternoon snack. I would highly recommend them even for the pickiest of eaters!
Another option is to make pouches yourself. This way you know all the ingredients used and you have the option to use organic fruits and veggies or not. I use my Baby Bullet, which I think is a great option and much cheaper than a lot of the other baby food makers out there. It comes with a ton of great accessories to store the food in as well as a small recipe book. The Big Book of Organic Baby Food is a terrific recipe book that contains tons of purees to use for pouches.
I also use the Infantino Squeeze Station and the Infantino Squeeze Pouches to store and serve homemade purees. It makes the whole process super easy and a lot less messy! They are also safe to freeze if you want to make a big batch at a time.
Smoothies
I have found that even the pickiest of eaters will usually chug down a well-made smoothie. This is a great way to hide so many different food groups as well. You can add things like milk or almond milk, yogurt, peanut butter, chia seeds, oats, kale, spinach and other veggies they would normally never eat. And they will never taste it!
These are two of my favorite recipe books for smoothies: Best 100 Smoothies for Kids & Green Smoothies for Kids. These are great for breakfast or a snack during the day and a perfect alternative to other sugary foods. They also contain no processed sugar!
Hidden Foods
Another great way to make sure your toddler gets the nutrition they need is to hide pureed veggies in simple recipes that you can make. Deceptively Delicious by Jessica Steinfield is absolutely genius when it comes to this. She hides things like spinach in brownies and cauliflower in mac and cheese. You cannot taste them at all and your toddler will never suspect that they are there! She has so many delicious recipes that my toddler will eat right up. They are all pretty simple as well.
For those lazy nights we also sometimes purchase the KidFresh brand. My son loves these easy meals. You can cook them in the oven/toaster oven or even quickly microwave them. They have chicken nuggets made with whole grain breading, pureed cauliflower and onions, and the chicken is 100% vegetarian fed with no antibiotics. Another favorite is the Mamma Mia Cheesy Pizza by them that contains real cheese, whole grain crust, and pureed carrots and spinach.
They have a huge variety and are in most grocery stores in the frozen section. We purchase ours at Target. Here is a link to see where you can purchase them http://www.kidfresh.com/where-to-buy/
Healthy Dipping Options
Another way that I get my toddler to eat and try different fruits, vegetables and meats is to offer them with a dipping sauce. For fruits you can use things like peanut butter or yogurt as a healthy dipping option. This is a great recipe for a protein packed fruit dip. For vegetables you can use hummus, honey mustard or even a low-fat ranch dressing. Here is a great recipe for a healthy honey mustard dip using Greek yogurt.
For meats I usually offer either just a plain organic tomato sauce or the all-natural ketchup with no high fructose corn syrup. I have definitely found that he is more willing to try things if there is something to dip them into!
Vitamins
We use the Zarbee’s Naturals Toddler Multivitamin Gummies. Where as many kids vitamins contain high fructose corn syrup, artificial sweeteners and dyes and gelatins, they use honey, natural flavors and fruit pectin.
They have 11 necessary nutrients and they are so tasty! (I’ve tried them myself) They can help with that nutritional gap in your child’s diet. Obviously always consult with your physician if you have any concerns with giving vitamins.
Do you have any tips for picky eaters? Please leave your comments below 🙂
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